Paulding County schools saw an increase in mean SAT scores in all sections from 2011 to 2012, according to statistics received from the Georgia Department of Education.

“I am excited about the gains we have seen in our SAT scores,” said Superintendent Cliff Cole. “The 1,134 students who took the SAT last year scored on average 29 points higher than those in 2011.

“We are not satisfied with our results and realize that there is still a great deal of work to be done. The mission of the Paulding County School District is to prepare all students for success in the 21st century. We will use these results to identify areas of strength and weakness in student performance and plan strategies to meet their instructional needs.

“I want to see all of our students graduate prepared to join the work force or continue their education. These scores indicate we continue to improve and are committed to providing our students the very best educational experiences.”

The only school which had a drop in any section was South Paulding, whose mean writing score dropped three points from 2011.

North Paulding High School students scored highest in the county.

About 260 North Paulding students took the SAT this year, down from 286 in 2011. North Paulding’s mean critical reading score was 489. Students’ mean math score was 488 and their mean writing score was 474.

Last year, North Paulding’s numbers were 468, 461 and 451 in the areas of critical reading, math and writing, respectively.

Paulding County had the lowest number of students take the SAT in 2012, with the lowest scores in the county, as well.

Paulding County had 144 students take the SAT for mean critical reading, math and writing skills scores of 451, 443 and 434, respectively. Last year’s scores were a great deal lower, however, with 134 students earning mean scores of 438, 430 and 413, respectively.

East Paulding’s mean test scores all remained within three points of 2011’s. With 215 students taking the SAT this year, down from last year’s 233, the mean reading, math and writing skills were 467, 460 and 447, compared to 2011’s 464, 458 and 445, respectively.

Hiram’s scores closely mirrored East’s, as 230 students earned a mean score of 468, 468 and 441, respectively, in the areas of reading, math and writing, up from 465, 459 and 437 in 2011, when 221 students took the SAT.

Finally, South Paulding had 281 students take the SAT, a decrease from 308 in 2011.

Their mean score in reading was 454, up two points from 452 in 2011. The mean math score saw a seven point increase at 450 in 2012, and writing decreased from 426 in 2011 to 423 this year.

*We welcome your comments on the stories and issues of the day and seek to provide a forum for the community to voice opinions. All comments are subject to moderator approval before being made visible on the website but are not edited. The use of profanity, obscene and vulgar language, hate speech, and racial slurs is strictly prohibited. Advertisements, promotions, spam, and links to outside websites will also be rejected. Please read our terms of service for full guides